Cotton-seed mill



(No Model.)

W. A. BROWN. COTTON SEED MILL. No. 587,641. Patented Aug. 3.1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT EEICE.V

VILLIAM AUGUSTUS BROVN, OF DE SOTOVILLE, ALABAMA.

'COTTON-SEED MILL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 587,641, dated August 3, 1897. Applicati'm filed December 9, 1896. Serial No. 615,023. (No model.)

Be it known that I, WILLIAn AUGUSTUS BROWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at De Sotoville, in the county of Choctaw and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Cotton-Seed Mill, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to cotton-seed mills; and it has for its object to provide a new and useful mill of this character having simple and efficient means for grinding cotton-seed to a fine meal, especially for the purpose of rendering the same available for use as a fcrtilizer.

The mill is primarilyintended for the grinding of green cotton-seed, in which condition the seed forms the best fertilizing medium, and in the accomplishment of this object obviates the long and wasteful method of placing green cotton-seed in piles and allowing the same to get wet to render the same suitable for fertilizing purposes, as is now conimonly done.

lVith these and other objects in view, which will readily appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated, and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a cotton-seed mill constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse sectional View on the line 2 2 of Fig. l. Fig. 3 is ascetional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an end view of thc discharging-end portion of the mill.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 1 designates a frame essentially comprising the horizontal base-sills 2 and a plurality of upright frame-pieces 3, suitably braced and connected together to complete a framework of sufficient strength for supporting the different parts of the mill. Built within the framework l is a rectangular casinget, having a removable top portion 5, which serves as a cover'for the casing and at the Y same time permits of ready access to the interior-thereof whenever necessary. The rectangular mill-casing et has fitted in the opposite bottom corners thereof the concave blocks 6, having smooth concaved surfaces 7, and forming a rounded bottom for the mill-Casin g, above which rounded bottom rotates a knife cylinder or drum S. The knife cylinder or drum 8 is fitted to a cylinder-shaft 9, having its extremities extended through and beyond the ends of the casing 4 and journaled in suitable bearings l0, fitted to the frame l of the mill, and the rotation of theshaft 9 provides for the rotation of the cylinder or drum 8 within the casing.

The knife cylinder or drum S extends longitudinally within the casing 4 from end to end thereof and is of a size nearly equaling the interior area of the casing in order vto insure a thorough grinding of the cotton-seed that isv introduced into the top of the casing at one end thereof in the manner to be presently referred to. The rotary knife cylinder or drum S carries ou its periphery a plurality or peripheralseries of knife-blades 1l.

There may beany number .of the "knifeblades fitted to the periphery of the cylinder or drum, according' to the size of the mill, and the saidrblades are arrangedY parallel with each other in the same circular plane and extend on diagonal or oblique lines longitudinally across the periphery of the cylinder or drum from end to end thereof, said blades therefore having` somewhat of a spiral disposition. 1

The diagonally-disposed knife-blades 11 eX- tend the entire length of the knife drum or cylinder and are detachably secured thereto by means of screws or similar fastenings 12, whereby the blades may bereadily'removed for sharpening or for the substitution of a new blade should one be broken during the operation of the mill.

The knife-blades 1l are undercut at one edge, as at 13, to form cutting edges, which undercut lcutting edges travel in close proximity to the inner edgeof the side ledgerblade 11. The sidevledger-blade 14 is arranged longitudinally of the n'Iill-casing, at one side thereof intermediate the top and bottom of the casing, and the said side ledger-blade 14 is arranged at an inclination, so as to dispose its inner edge in proper relation to the cut- IOO - and prevent clogging thereof.

ting edges of the knife-blades 11. The said side ledger-blade 14 is arranged in a longitudinal side opening 15 of the casing and is provided at intervals with transversely-disposed slots 16 to receive the fastening-screws 17 for holding the blade 14 in its stationary position and permitting of the slight vadj ustment thereof to vary the distance between the same and the knife-blades 11 as may be required.

In conjunction with the side ledger-'blade 14 is employed a similar ledger-blade 18, which is arranged longitudinally of the casing 4 at the bottom thereof and is iitted in a stationary position between the concave blocks 6 in the bottom corners of the casing. The central bottom ledger-blade 18 is also disposed at a slight inclination to a vertical plane, so as to dispose its upper edge in proper relation to the knife-blades 11, and said blade 18 is provided with short transversely-disposed slots 19, receiving' screws 20, which permit of a slight adjustment of the said blade 18 as may be required, it being understood that this adjustment may be effected by a removal of the concave blocks. G next to the hea-ds of the screws 20.

The mill-casing 4 is provided in the top thereof, at one end and at one side of its longitudinal center, with a feed-opening 21, in which is fitted the lower end of the hopper 22, supported on top of the casing and having arranged for rotation therein a stirrer-shaft 23, carrying a plurality of radial stirrer-iingers 24, working within the hopper and serving to force the seed through the opening 21 The stirrershaft 23 carries at one end, exterior to the hopper, abelt-pulley 25, over which passes the Lipper portion of a belt 26, receiving its Inotion from a belt-wheel 27, mounted on the cylinder-shaft 9 beyond one end of the millcasing, and at one side of the belt-wheel 27 is arranged the band-pulley 28 for receiving the belt for driving the mill. At the opposite side of the belt-wheel 27 the -shaft 9 carries a similar belt-wheel 29, over which passes one portion of an endless belt 30, the other portion of which belt passes over a crank-wheel 31, mounted at one end of a counter-shaft 32, journaled in suitable bearings at one side of the mill-frame l.

The crank-wheel 31 has a crank-pin connection 33 with one end of a pitman 34, the other end of which pitman pivotally connects with the inner end of a horizontally-oscillating shaker-bar 35, pivotally mounted near its outer end on the pivotal support 36 below the mill casing. The horizontally oscillating shaker-bar has rigidly fastened to its outer end, at one side of its' pivot 36, a laterallyvibrating sieve-pan 37. The laterally-vibrating sieve-pan 37 is provided with the side flanges 38 and a perforate-bottom plate 39, which is designed to receive thereon the cotton-seed meal delivered from one end of the mill-casing through a short laterally-declining discharge-spout 40. The'short laterallydeclining discharge-spout 40 is fitted at its inner end over the end discharge-opening 41, f

formed in one end of the mill-casing, at one side of its longitudinal center, and directly adjacent to the opening 41 one of the cncave blocks is obliquely beveled, as at 42, to

assist in deflectin g the meal through the opening 41.

In the operation of the mill, the cotton-seed is fed through the opening 21 on the top side of the knife cylinder or drum 8, traveling t0- ward the side ledger-blade 14 and at one end of the casing. As the knife cylinder or drum rotates t-he cotton-seed is caught by the undercut edges of the knife-blades 11 and carried against the inner edge of the ledgerblade 14, and by a shearing action of the knife-blades the cotton-seed is cut in fine pieces, and this operation is repeated in connection with the central bottom ledger-blade 18, thereby securing a fine cutting of the seed, so as to reduce the same to a meal. The diagonal or oblique disposition of the blades 11 causes the meal to be worked out toward one end of the mill-casing and discharged through the opening 41 and the spout 40onto the sieve-pan 37, the lateral vibrations of which pan causes a "separation of the meal from the seed-hulls and delivers the meal in the best possible condition for use.

Changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described the invention, what loo is claimed, and desired to be secured byLetv ters Patent, is-

1. In a cotton-seed mill, the casing provided at one end witha top feed-opening and at its opposite end with a bottom discharge-` opening, a pair of concave blocks fitted respectively in opposite bottom corners of the casing and having smooth concaved surfaces forming a rounded bottom for the casing, a vertically-adjustable central bottom ledgerblade fitted between the two concave blocks,

a separate side ledger-blade adj ustably fitted in a longitudinal opening formed in one side of the casing and projecting into the latter, a rotatable knife cylinder or drum mounted longitudinally within the casing, and a series of parallel knife-blades fitted to the periphery of the cylinder or drum and extending obliquely from end to end thereof, said blades being undercut at one edge, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cotton-seed mill, a casing provided in one end with a discharge-opening at one side, alaterally-declining discharge-spout extending from said discharge-opening'toward the middle of the machine, cutting mechanism mounted within the casing, a homo t tally-oscillating shaker-bar suspended by a pivot-bolt below the casing, a perforate latemily-oscillating sieve-pan rigidly fitted to one end of Jhe shaker-bar and disposed under the outer end of said discharge-spout, and a suitably-operated crank-Wheel having a pitman connection with the end ofthe shaker-bai'- opposite the sieve-pan, substantially as seb fort-h.

In testimony'that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afxed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WILLIAM AUGUSTUS BROWN.

Witnesses:

W. B. GILMER, F. A. MILLER. 

